Interlocking railw ay- switch



{N0 Mode.)

J. WRIGLEY.

INTERLOGKING RAILWAY SWITCH.

Patented Jan; 2, 1894.

w x w TTORNEY? NITED STATES ATENT @rrrcn.

JOHN XVRIGLEY, OF ELMIRA, NEV YORK.

INTERLOCKING RAILWAY=SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 511,921, dated January 2, 1894.

Application filed March 27, 1893.

To all whom, it may concern/.-

Be it known that I, J OHN WRIGLEY, a citizen of the United States, residing in Elmira, Chemung county, State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Interlocking Railway-Switches; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

The object of my present invention is to provide an interlocking railway switch (such as is generally used in connection with signaltowers), of simple and durable construction, reliable in operation, not liable to get out of order, and which switch can be operated with about one half of the power required to operate any other interlocking switch.

The invention consists in the improved interlocking railway switch, its operating and interlocking mechanism, its connection with the detector bar, and in the combination and arrangement of the various parts thereof, substantially as will be hereinafter more fully described and finally embodied in the clauses of the claim.

Referring to the accompanying drawings, in which like letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in each of the several views: Figure 1 is a top plan view of my improved switch, also illustrating its connection with a railway track. Fig. 2 is a rear elevation of Fig. 1; the track and its connection with the switch not being shown. Fig. 3 is a sectional view on the line g of Fig. 1. Fig. i is a sectional view on the line oc;c of Fig. 1; and Figs. 5 and 6 are detail views (Fig. 6 enlarged) of certain parts of the interlocking mechanism.

In said drawings a represents the bed plate, provided with bearings b, c and (1, (preferably cast integral with said bed plate,) in which bearings is arranged the shaft or axle e, supporting the crank levers e and c the lever e is connected by pipe or wire with the operating mechanism in the signal tower in the Serial No. 467.908- (No model.)

usual manner, and the lever e, by a rod w with the detector bar, the latter not being shown in the drawings. Between the bearings]; and c and secured to the shaft e, is a segmental or quadrant shaped hollow metal block f, provided with a diagonally arranged slot g, adapted to be engaged by the pin h, which latter is secured to the curved portion 11' of lever t'. The diagonal slot terminates at each end in a straight slot, the purpose of which will be hereinafter explained. Said pin can, if desired be arranged in roller bearings, thus reducing the friction, when moved in the slot g. The lever t'is as at pivotally secured to the bearing m, cast integral with bed plate a. The free end of said lever is connected to rod n, which in turn is secured to the point 0 of railway track 13. To the rod 1), connecting the forward end of said point 0, is pivotally secured one end of lever 10, the other-end of which is pivoted to the projecting lug g of carriage q. Said carriage is provided with a central slot q, through which pass the guide pins 1 as shown in Figs. 1, 2 and 4 of the drawings.

(last integral with the inner end of the carriage q, are upwardly extending walls .9 and t, the upper surfaces of which are inclined in opposite directions, and are provided with notches s and 2? respectively.

Secured to the shaft eisa collar r, provided with horizontally extending arms 1" and 7*, which latter are adapted to travel on the inclined surfaces of the walls 8 and t respectively, and are further adapted to rest in their respective notches s and t. The lower surfaces of said arms 7" and r are inclined (Fig. 6) corresponding with the inclined surfaces of the walls 8 and 25. The operation of my improved interlocking switch embodies three movements: By the first movement the de tector bar is raised and the switch unlocked, (the pin it travels in one of the straight portions of the slot g;) by the second move the switch is operated and the point thrown over, (the pin h travels in the inclined portion of the slot;) by the third move the detector bar is returned to its normal position and the switch locked, (the pin travels in the other straight portion of the slot.)

The above results are produced in the following manner: The crank lever 6 through its connection with the signal tower, is oper ated and causes the shaft 6 to rotate. In its rotation, the shaft carries with it the crank lever e, the collar 0" (carrying the arms 1" and T and the hollow quadrant block f. While the pin it is travelingin either of the straight portions of the slot g, the lever 2' and rod 7? are not operated; but the detector bar, through its connection to and lever e is raised and simultaneously the arm 7" (or T is raised out of its respective notch s (or t), thus unlocking the switch. Should the track not be clear, the detector bar could not be raised and thus the switch could not be operated. In the further rotation of the shaft ,e, the pin it enters the inclined portion of the slot g, thus turning the lever "i on its fulcrum 7c and thus throwing the point 0 over. Simultaneously the carriage q is operated from the bar 1; and its connection t0, and the inclined surfaces of the upwardly extending walls 3 and t travel beneath the arms r and 1. When the pin it has reached the other straight portion of the slot g, the detector bar is again returned to its normal position (through its connection to with the crank lever e), and the arm r (or 'r) engages its respective notch 25 (or 8'), thus locking the switch.

From the foregoing description it can be seen, that the switch can only be operated when the track is clear, and said switchis first unlocked, then operated and again locked.

The above clearly shows, that my improved switch is simpler and stronger than any other switch, and on account of its simplicity (all parts being operated from one lever), requires but very little power to be operated. Should by any reason the pin connecting the lever 2' and rod 12 drop out, or should the lever '11 break, the operator in the signal tower could not operate the switch, as the arm 1" (or 0" rests in its respective notch, and the shaft is thus prevented from turning.

It is manifest, that in place of the quadrant shaped hollow block f,I can use a cylinder, provided with two slots arranged diametrically opposite each other, and in that case a forked portion has to be substituted for the curved portion i of the lever 2', each end of said fork carrying one pin, engaging its respective slot.

I do not intend to limit myself to the exact construction shown and described. Neither do I intend to limit myself to the use of the improved switch block for railway switches, as various alterations can be made without changing the scope of my invention.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire to secure byLetters Patent, is-- 1. In a railway switch, the combination with the point and its operating rod, of afulcrumed lever, pivoted with one end to said rod and provided at its other end with a pin, a quadrant shaped hollow block fulcrum ed on a shaft, said block being provided with a slot,

adapted to engage the pin of the lever, and with a crank arm secured to said shaft, and adapted to lock or unlock the point, substantially as described.

2. In a railway switch, the combination with the point and its operating rod, of a fulcrumed lever pivoted With one end to said rod and provided at its other end with a pin, a shaft, secured in hearings on a bed plate, a quadrant shaped hollow block secured to said shaft and provided with a slot, arranged diagonally to said block, and terminating at each end in a straight portion, said block and slot being adapted to operate said pin and lever, and With a crank arm secured to said shaft and adapted to lock or unlock said point, substantially as described.

3. In an interlocking rail way switch, the combination with the point operating rod, of a fulcrumed lever pivoted with one end to said rod, and provided at its other end with a pin, a shaft arranged in hearings on a bed plate, means for transmitting the motion from said shaft to said pin and lever, a carriage arranged beneath said shaft and pro vided with upwardly extending walls having oppositely arranged inclined surfaces, a lever secured to said shaft and adapted to engage said inclined surfaces, and a rod connecting said carriage with the point, all said parts, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

4. In an interlocking railway switch, the combination with the point operating mechanism, of a carriage arranged on the bed plate supporting said point operating mechanism, upwardly extending projections arranged on said carriage and provided with inclined surfaces, a fulcrumed lever adapted to operate on said inclined surfaces, and a rod connecting said carriage with the point, all said parts, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

5. In an interlocking railway switch, the combination with the point operating mechanism, of a carriage, upwardly extending projections cast integral with said carriage and provided with oppositely arranged inclined surfaces and at their opposite ends with notches, a fulcrumed lever adapted to operate on said inclined surfaces and be locked by said notches, and a rod connecting said carriage with the point, all said parts, substantially as and for the purposes described.

6. In an interlocking railway switch, the combination with the point operating rod, of a fulcrumed lever pivoted with one end to said rod and provided'at its other end with a pin, a quadrant shaped hollow block secured to a shaft and provided with a slot, arranged diagonally to said block and terminating at each end in a straight portion, said block and slot being adapted to operate said pin and its lever, a carriage arranged beneath the shaft and provided with upwardly extending walls, having oppositely arranged inolinedsurfaces and at their opposite ends notches, a lever arranged on the shaft and adapted to engage alternately said inclined surfaces and notches, and a crank lever secured to said shaft, all said parts being arranged and adapted to operate, substantially as and for the purposes described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing I have hereunto set my hand this 10th day of March, 1893.,

JOHN WRIGLEY. Witnesses:

ALFRED GARTNER, J. IRVING TERHUNE. 

